


Be Bold and Brave it

by darter_blue



Series: Cute Bucky Barnes Bingo fills [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Eyeliner, Fluff, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, POV Bucky Barnes, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-World War II Bucky Barnes, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but like as a millennial, self-care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:55:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23473564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darter_blue/pseuds/darter_blue
Summary: 'You think? It's not too much?' Bucky is twisting and turning to try and see his ass in the pants - and, you know, without being able to turn his head three hundred and sixty degrees it's not super easy, but from what he can see, it's pretty darn good.'It's a lot, but in a hot way.' Nat is looking him up and down, with her chin in her hands, like an art curator. 'But it's missing something.''Yeah, a shirt,' Bucky says. Because he might look great. But he's not one hundred percent sure of this whole vest only look.'No, I know!' and she disappears into the bathroom for two minutes. Bucky can hear her rattling around in something. Whatever it is, Bucky will be talked into it, however reluctantly. Natasha is very persuasive.'Okay! I've got it.'And with a sweeping flick of her wrist, she displays the black eye pencil from her make-up kit.'Oh no.''Oh YES my friend.'This one's for my Bucky Barnes Bingo square: Eyeliner (Y5)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Cute Bucky Barnes Bingo fills [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758007
Comments: 49
Kudos: 561
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020





	Be Bold and Brave it

**Author's Note:**

> Feeling sad? Stressed? Isolated? 
> 
> Need a little pick-me-up? Then read on, friend.
> 
> Not gonna lie - the following fic is just pure, indulgent Fluff.
> 
> Hope you like it xx

Bucky Barnes is, objectively, a good looking guy. Actually make that subjectively, being that it's his own opinion. Though, he has it on pretty good authority that the opinion is wide ranging. So maybe it's both. 

Still.

It doesn't seem to be making much difference to the success of his love-life at the moment. Because, yes, his tinder profile is getting hits, and yes, that hot guy from his Yoga class was giving him sex eyes all morning, but the guy he's into, way too much to be healthy - be honest Bucky - is so oblivious it's painful.

He knows the guy's name is Steve, he knows he's all kinds of blond god-like beauty. He also knows he went out of his way to chase Bucky down when he left his phone at the bakery three weeks ago to hand it back, and that he never fails to give up his seat for the pregnant nurse who catches their train and who's baby bump is getting bigger and bigger every damn day. 

Bucky is NOT stalking Steve. They have the same routine everyday, is all, and yes, Bucky may make a concerted effort now to make the 7:27 am C train from Ralph Ave but he doesn't catch it _every_ day.

And he may have sat down with Steve a total of four times now (since the fateful phone incident) to have actual coffee and the pastry of the day at the bakery they both frequent. But Becks Bakery have been the proprietors of Bucky's favourite Brioche Donuts from childhood, and it's right by his subway stop, he's not about to stop going there just because his crush does. And may or may not now realise that Bucky would low key like to marry him. Maybe raise a few kids. Definitely get a dog. Or a cat. 

He doesn't yet know about Steve's pet preferences. 

And okay, that's sort of also a problem. Because Bucky and Steve have been on these almost dates four times now, catch the subway together daily, laugh over the ridiculous nature of reality TV and it's addictive hold on them, bond over medieval literature. But Bucky doesn't know if Steve swings Bucky's way, and despite how warm and lovely Steve always seems, he's given zero indication of any romantical interest. 

And Bucky is at a loss as to how to broach it now, and not be weird. 

But anyway. None of that is important right now. Because Natasha is squeezing him into some painfully tight black leather pants (spoiler - the leather is FAKE, but they look HOT) a too small, black, open vest and literally nothing else. Partly because underwear would ruin the line of these pants, but also because he's been working really hard on the definition of his chest and arms at the gym (he doesn't have a lot else to do with his life right now, see: love life = zero) and Nat is keen for him to display said definition to all of the world at the OTT costume party they are currently getting ready for. 

'Okay, you look h o t,' Nat says, predatory grin stretched wide and unapologetic.

'You think? It's not too much?' Bucky is twisting and turning to try and see his ass in the pants - and, you know, without being able to turn his head three hundred and sixty degrees it's not super easy, but from what he _can_ see, it's pretty darn good.

'It's a lot, but in a hot way.' Nat is looking him up and down, with her chin in her hands, like an art curator. 'But it's missing something.'

'Yeah, a shirt,' Bucky says. Because he might look great. But he's not one hundred percent sure of this whole vest only look.

'No, I know!' and she disappears into the bathroom for two minutes. Bucky can hear her rattling around in something. Whatever it is, Bucky will be talked into it, however reluctantly. Natasha is very persuasive. 

'Okay! I've got it.'

And with a sweeping flick of her wrist, she displays the black eye pencil from her make-up kit. 

'Oh no.'

'Oh YES my friend.'

Bucky eyes the liner with no small amount of fear. There's also a very large dose of 'ooh, pretty,' and 'omg exciting,' but it's the little bit of, 'can I actually wear that?' that has Bucky hesitating.

Can he wear that? He wants to. Nat clearly wants him to. He turns away from her to take a closer look at himself in the mirror and is caught by the reflection of his own face. It's a good face. It's got him through some tough times, always there for him to offer a roguish wink or a winning smile to hide the discomfort of being different. His hair; product and a blow dry get it sitting with that little bit of curl, long and swept back through the front but short at the sides, is a nice disguise. The maintenance is a daily expression of self care that allows him to hide any insecurities under an 'I have my shit together' attitude. Bucky has been riding this wave for a while, maybe he can afford to branch out. Yes. The eyeliner will just be an extension of that expression, adding a little bit of daring to bolster his personality.

He turns back to Natasha and smiles. Her returning grin is impressively wide.

'Yes.'

And just like that, Bucky hands his face over to his best friend and trusts her to make him look beautiful.

It's surprisingly easy, when they get to the party, for Bucky to feel like he made the right choice.

The subway is as crowded and gross as ever, but with a heavy coat over his bare chest and his arm linked through Nat's, he feels like at least eighty percent of the commuters look much stranger than he does. Especially that one guy in the corner with a leash on his stuffed cat.

The party is for their friend Clint's thirtieth birthday. And Clint is clinging to his twenties by making them all dress up like punks. He's hired some loft space and invited every living soul he knows, it's _packed_ . And as far as costumes go, Bucky's is actually pretty tame. He leaves his coat at the rack set up by the entrance, Nat does the same, and they step into the noise and heat of the party to find the birthday boy and to get drinks. _Strong_ drinks.

'Holy Shit!'

Bucky looks around for the source of the shouting, and finds Clint, head to toe in purple leather, staring at him with wide eyes.

'What?' Bucky quickly looks down to make sure his fly isn't undone (always a bigger risk when going commando) or that gross subway grime hasn't transferred to his person (thank god, it has not).

He looks back at Clint who is carrying on his fish impersonation.

'Jesus, what, Clint?' Bucky eyes off the suspiciously bright green liquid at the bottom of Clint's almost empty glass. 'Are you okay?' he is a little worried maybe Clint is suddenly suffering from a rare case of third life crisis. 

Bucky looks from Clint to Natasha (who is just grinning unhelpfully) and back.

'You look _amazing_ , Bucky,'

Oh.

'Oh. Thank you?'

'Doesn't he?' Nat gushes. Which thrills Bucky to his bones. Because Nat _never_ gushes. 

'You really do.' Clint clarifies, looking Bucky up and down and landing for too long in Bucky's face. 'Is that eyeliner?'

'Yes!' Nat squeals.

'Yeah,' Bucky says, somewhat less enthusiastic.

'Gotta say dude, you're rockin' it.'

And with that Clint turns on his heel to greet the next incoming guests, and Natasha drags Bucky through the throngs of sweaty people to find the bar.

Two mojitos and no food later and Bucky is hungry and dizzy. He finds the line for the bathroom and waits diligently for a chance to splash some water on his cheeks and freshen up. He's a little bit in love with the way his eyes look, masterfully rimmed in the charcoal of Nat's pencil. Slightly smoky, artfully blended so it fades out nicely from his eye, the dark liner makes the grey/blue of his iris sharp and bold. It's a little bit dangerous, a lot dramatic. It's different, he's not sure it suits him, but he _does_ like it. He runs a careful finger under the corner of his eye the way Nat showed him, to wipe away smudge. 

'You're alright, Bucky Barnes,' he says to his mirror self. 'You deserve good things.'

He isn't sure if it's a pep talk or a congratulations. He's a little bit buzzed, truth be told, and that's okay too.

He lost Nat and Clint about an hour ago but he knows his gal Wanda is here somewhere and they haven't had a chance to catch up yet. He resolves to hunt her down and find out what her new job's like, setting on a systematic path through the crowd like a search grid.

Easy peasy. 

And find her he does, she's not alone, she's talking to a blond behemoth of a man, who seems to have missed the memo about dressing up, and yet Bucky cannot be mad about the ass trying to bust out of that light wash denim. 

Wanda catches Bucky staring and he sees her blinding smile in his periphery. He averts his gaze to smile back, which is when the guy decides to turn his head at what's caught Wanda's attention. And it's not just any old beefcake, it's Steve. Bucky's Steve.

'Steve!' he says with glee. Because what are the odds? 'What are the odds?' His brain to mouth filter appears to be glitching.

'James?' Steve asks. He's squinting at Bucky like he isn't sure what he's seeing. Bucky can't tell if it's a 'what are you, train friend, doing here, so far from our regular contextual space?' or a 'wow, how crazy that my Bucky is here right now, where I too happen to be,' kind of confusion.

It's seeming very likely that Bucky is a tad past tipsy at this point in time.

And may have said some or all of that out loud.

‘My Bucky?’ Steve asks. Oops.

'Bucky!' Wanda laughs, weaving her words in that rich Eastern European accent of hers, and cutting though the awkward pause, 'You look fabulous!'

'Oh, thank you!' he replies, reaching forward to accept her offer of a hug. 'You look as devastatingly beautiful as ever. Is Vis here too?' Bucky does a quick sweep of the surrounding area, in case Wanda's husband is hiding behind a pot plant or something. He's historically not a fan of parties.

'He's hiding somewhere,' she says with a shrug, 'probably arguing about existentialism with Tony, you know what those two are like.'

Both Steve and Bucky nod along, because yes, they do.

'You know actually I might go check in on him, make sure he's not actively melting into the walls or anything.' Bucky hopes Wanda's being hyperbolic, as far as he's aware that's not a thing that people can do. 

And before he knows it, Wanda has slipped past him and now Steve is watching him, discreetly looking Bucky up and down, getting caught on Bucky’s eyes (the eyeliner…), and Bucky’s sure the temperature just ratcheted. He resists the urge to fan at his face with a stray hand.

Steve seems similarly affected, if his escalated breathing is anything to go by. 

'So you know Clint-'

'Are you here with someone-'

They both start talking at the same time, and then laugh. 

'You go first,' Bucky offers graciously.

'I work with Clint,' Steve says, fidgeting with the sleeves of his soft blue sweater. 'I'm doing some work in the Manhattan office for a few months, but I'll be back in Brooklyn soon.'

'You're a lawyer?' Bucky asks, to clarify. Because Clint works for legal aid, as a lawyer, but the only other person Bucky really knows from Clint's work is Kate, and she's actually a counselor. 

'Family law mostly,' Steve shrugs, 'What about you,'? Steve quickly passes the conversation back to Bucky.

'Marketing,' Bucky says, because it's usually too hard to explain what an ethical marketing strategist does, and how his consultation to marketing campaigns works beyond just, 'I'm a consultant.' 

'And are you?' Steve asks. And Bucky must look confused because then adds 'here with someone?' 

'Oh yes,' Bucky answers, 'I'm here with Natasha.' 

'Clint's ex?' And Bucky's no expert, but Steve doesn't look happy about that for some reason.

'Oh, well Nat has make-up sex marked on the Calendar for Monday, so probably not for long.' Bucky explains, hoping that might cheer Steve up. Only now it's Steve's turn to look confused. 'She's my roommate,' Bucky clarifies, 'and a pain in my ass.'

'Oh,' Steve said, laughing, 'wait, I thought Natasha's roommate was like an ethics professor or something, the way Clint talks about him,' 

'Ha, really?' Bucky is pleased to think Clint has been talking him up to beautiful strangers. Not so pleased that he has failed to mention said beautiful strangers to Bucky. ‘I mean, I have a masters in Ethics and legal studies, that's how I met Clint.’ Bucky squints as he remembers, ‘I introduced him to Nat. Regret it every day.’ He says the last with a smile, they may make his life crazy, but they also make it fun and colourful and full of love (and drama).

‘Oh, _OH_ ,’ Steve says, and his eyes are wide with some realisation.

‘Oh?’

‘You’re _Bucky_!’

Bucky blinks back at Steve, not sure why that’s a revelation?

‘No, sorry, you introduced yourself as James when I chased after you that day. I never put the two names together.’

Bucky thinks back to that day and perhaps, at the time, thought _James_ sounded much more grown up and sexier than _Bucky_. Never mind that no one but his mother calls him James. He’s pretty sure he’s blushing right now, and ducks his head to try and hide it. 

‘Yeah I mean, James _is_ my name, Bucky’s just a nickname.’

Steve is looking at Bucky so differently all of a sudden. 

‘Is that… okay?’ Bucky says worriedly, ‘that’s not weird, is it?’

‘No!’ Steve says, laughing, ‘It’s great, it’s…’ Steve is looking at Bucky like he just won a prize. ‘Clint keeps talking about Bucky this and Bucky that, wanting to set me up. I kept telling him I’m interested in somebody else.’

Bucky isn’t sure whether to be insulted by that, being that Steve didn’t know who he was dismissing at the time. Something must be evident in his expression though, because Steve lightly touches him at the elbow and smiles.

‘I’m totally hung up on this guy James who catches my train every day.’

‘Not _every_ day,’ Bucky says, and Steve’s smile is infectious. ‘Totally hung up on him?’

‘An embarrassing amount.’

Oh Christ. Bucky may be having an aneurysm. 

‘He might be a little bit hung up on you too…’

‘Oh yeah?’ Steve asks.

Bucky holds his thumb and index finger a half inch apart to indicate ‘just a bit’, his smile giving away the lie. 

‘Would you, maybe like to get coffee?’ Steve asks, eyebrows raised.

‘Like now?’ 

‘Umm, yes?’ Steve hunches his shoulders, and it’s cute that he’s nervous. It makes Bucky braver.

‘I could get coffee.’ He really could go for coffee. It might help sober him up.

‘Great!’

‘Great!’

Aware that they're both standing and staring at each other like idiots, high enough on the knowledge that Steve, _STEVE,_ wants to take him out for coffee, _date_ coffee, not train buddy coffee, that he doesn’t actually care. 

Steve chuckles and Bucky takes pity on him.

‘Okay, you lead, I’ll follow,’ he says with a wink, gesturing for Steve to make a move and letting him lead their way through the masses of people to the front door.

‘James Buchanan Barnes!’ 

They both turn at the sound of Nat’s voice and she appears like a goddess, parting the crowd to intercept their exit. She takes stock of the tall, soft looking, model gorgeous man that Bucky is about to leave the party with and raises one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. 

Bucky shoots Steve a quick ‘one sec’ and then takes a step into Nat’s space.

‘Natalia Alianovna Romanoff,’ Bucky says under his breath, mischievous grin firmly in place. He surprises her by wrapping her up in a tight hug. ‘Thank you,’ he says, ‘love you.’

‘Love you too, kiddo.’

He takes a step back and laughs at her confused smile. ‘Can I keep that eyeliner?’

‘I’ll get you your own,’ she says, huffing fondly. ‘Go on,’ she gives him a little push, ‘go do naughty things.’

Bucky laughs, ‘You got it, boss.’ And he turns back to Steve, reaching out to take his hand and lead him to the coat rack so they don’t freeze to death on their date.

They have coffee, and though Bucky is dressed like a 70's punk rocker and Steve looks like a sexy librarian in his oversized knit sweater and his straight legged jeans, it's comfortably similar to their previous interactions. Only charged with a kind of _expectation_ that has Bucky squirming in his too tight pants. 

The coffee works to sober Bucky up, and by the time they pay, tip and grab their coats, he's ready to follow Nat's orders.

'Walk me home?' He asks, batting his lashes with a little extra flourish. Steve is helpless to refuse. 

They walk, hand in hand, to Bucky's apartment, relishing the fresh air, the cold wind dulling that pungent Brooklyn smell.

'This is me,' Bucky says, as they reach his building, 'Want to come up?

'You have no idea,' Steve says, breathless.

'I have an inkling,' Bucky replies with a smirk, tugging a little on Steve's arm to lead him into the lobby. Steve huff's that cute chuckle of his and they ride the elevator up in silence, Steve’s eyes fixed to Bucky’s and charged with want. 

The elevator opens on his floor and Bucky pulls Steve along to his front door, searching his coat pockets for the keys, finding them, then sorting through them to pick out the one he needs. 

He feels strong, warm arms wrap around him. Steve rests his chin on Bucky's shoulder as he fusses with the lock and buries his nose into the sensitive skin of Bucky's neck, sliding it up to that spot below Bucky's ear that goes straight to his dick. 

'Steve,' he says, getting a hum in response that vibrates against his throat deliciously, 'you're not helping me concentrate.'

'Sorry,' Steve says, voice so low it's criminal. He isn't sorry though, Bucky is pretty sure, because he nuzzles back into Bucky's exposed neck with renewed fervour. He also slides his hands into the front of Bucky's coat and across his bare stomach beneath the cheap, open vest of his costume. 

'Oh god,' Bucky breathes, resting his head back against Steve's shoulder, leaning into the contact. Steve gently turns Bucky's face towards his mouth with a well placed finger tip. Bucky lets him, reaching up to meet the kiss with parted lips. 

He gets lost in the warmth of Steve's soft, wet mouth, opening up to let Steve lick into him, distracted enough that he allows Steve to spin him around and crowd him into the door, get two hands on his stomach and slide them up over his chest until he reaches an exposed nipple and pinches it gently. 

Bucky gasps into Steve's relentless kiss, all thoughts not pertaining to Steve's tongue or Steve's fingers, or Steve's very large chest pressing Bucky into oblivion, have left his brain for good. 

Until a thud from one of the adjacent apartments interrupts and brings him back to reality.

'Steve, wait,' Bucky sucks in a breath. Steve pulls immediately away, just far enough to check Bucky's expression, 'lets get inside.'

'Sorry,' Steve says again, sneaking back in for another quick kiss before stepping back and raising his hands in surrender. He doesn't look sorry though. He looks smug and satisfied. It's a good look on him. 

'Sure you are,' Bucky shakes his head, turning away reluctantly to finally get the right key, the right way up, into the lock.

As soon as they're inside Steve reaches back in to pull Bucky close, slips the coat and vest off Bucky in one swift motion and tosses them aside.

'Been wanting to get you like this for so long, James, _Bucky_ ,' Steve says, attacking Bucky's throat with his teeth and tongue.

'Me too,' Bucky tries to say, but can't really form words around the sensation of Steve biting into the sharp definition of his jawline. 

'You look sexy as fuck like this,' Steve says between bites and Bucky makes a mental note to send Natasha an enormous gift basket. 

Bucky uses his desperate hands to clutch at Steve's sweater, rucking it up so he can get underneath it and the undershirt to reach all the smooth, tight skin of Steve's washboard abdomen.

'Fucking _Christ_ Stevie, how are you real?'

'They're just muscles, Buck,' Steve laughs, 'You have them too.'

'Not like this,' Bucky manages to distract Steve long enough to get the clothes up over his head and onto the floor. He stands back a step just to marvel at the view. 'So beautiful.'

'Bucky,' Steve steps in and traces a finger down Bucky's cheek, 'This is beautiful. And this,' he holds the other hand over Bucky's heart, 'You remember to say good morning to Mrs Lee every time she steps on the train. You put a twenty into Beck's tip jar three out of the four times we had coffee there.'

'You chased a total stranger four blocks to give him back his phone,' Bucky counters.

'I just wanted to get into your pants, pal.'

Bucky snorts indelicately, 'Shut-up.'

Steve bends down to kiss Bucky sweetly. 'And it was only two blocks,' he says with a smile.

'You can't fool me Steve, I know you're a good guy,' Bucky says, brushing a lock of blond hair off his forehead.

Steve grips Bucky around the waist and holds him close.

'You know I'm totally gonna let you into my pants, right?' Bucky says, smiling into Steve's ear.

'God I hope so, otherwise I might explode here.'

Bucky laughs and shakes his head, 'Come on, bedroom's this way.' 

He's not even mad that the giant box of condoms Nat bought him for his birthday are fluorescent pink and smell like strawberries. They come in very handy.

Bucky wakes up wrapped tightly in a blond, beefy, thermal mass. He breathes in and takes stock of his situation. Despite the one too many cocktails, he doesn't have a headache, his muscles are stiff and need a good stretch, his ass kind of aches, which is to be expected - it's a good ache, when he knows what caused it (has some pleasantly visceral memories for posterity) - he probably has smudged liner under his eyes, but he can’t be mad, he actually likes the idea that he might look as debauched as he feels. If last night taught him anything, its that maybe he doesn’t need to hide so much. All in all he feels surprisingly well. 

He wouldn't mind waking up like this more often.

'Good morning,' Steve mumbles, all sleep addled and hair mussed. Bucky can't quite tear his eyes away from the vast expanse of pale, muscular flesh on display.

'It could be better,' Bucky whispers, wiggling his eyebrows to make Steve laugh. 

'Prove it,' Steve says, low and sweet.

So Bucky does.

The eyeliner becomes as permanent a fixture in his bathroom as all his other routine beauty products.

It’s not long before they’re joined by Steve's spare toothbrush.

And then Steve's everything. 

Turns out Steve's a cat guy. 

Bucky couldn't be happier. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Come find me, I'm **[darter-blue](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/darter-blue)** on tumblr
> 
> Or 
> 
> Come chat on twitter:[@beclouise13](https://twitter.com/beclouise13)


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